The Anti-Game - Why DayZ will stay a crappy game

[tommes 331]

I'll try to keep it short.

 

Quick heads up:

It's NOT Dean leaving the project.

It's NOT the current state of development.

 

Dean called his creation a fundamentally flawed concept. Not sure about what he exactly meant but I just came to that same conclusion. I'll try to put that in simple logic.

 

DayZ is a game.

A game is supposed to make fun.

Fun is the human minds response to a certain type of action, like success.

Success is achieving your goals.

DayZ gives you a very slim rate of success, especially compared to the invested time. It cuts you from having fun to a blank screen often, quickly and that mostly very unsatisfyingly.

 

What does a typical life in DayZ look like?

You spawn. You run. You find nothing a lot. Then you find something. This goes on for like one to three hours. That part is mildly satisfying because finding stuff gives you a feeling of success.

Sometimes you meet someone and succesfully establish some interaction, which can be at least interesting.

Often enough you're cut off from fun right there, mostly because the other dude does not want to interact with you much for some reason. You either fight to the death in shitty melee combat or part your ways without further adoo. Both versions are rather not fun.

Now you've overcome that step and are highly geared. Unknown players are either a threat or a source of a fun experience. Either way you are shooting them. A moment of fun for you means another few hours of running around looting scraps for the other guy. A moment of fun for him means what you did the last couple of hours is practically erased.

 

That is well known and I would't have opened a thread if there wasn't some epiphany here...

 

Playing DayZ is  a bad investment. The time/fun ration is way to low. All methods of players coping with that lead to other players suffering. Either by avoiding any interaction or creating bad experiences for them.

 

This vicious cycle will not be broken inside DayZ! Devs can put in game what they want,in the end nobody will bond inside the game that not already is bond by something outside it. 

 

DayZ will not be fixed. They can't. It's core concept is fundamentally flawed. It will never have a good time/fun ratio. It just is pretty good at concealing that for a long time. Developing DayZ is just creating a lot of fog around that. Stuff to fill the void superficially.

 

I never liked that 1000+ vehicle spawn with custom loadout bla bla servers...but their existence is only natural. It's one way of coping with the slow paced boredom DayZ is presenting you with. But it's still a bad way because even on those servers the time/fun ratio is poor compared to dedicated shooters.

 

So my suggestions are, if you want to shoot other players, don't play DayZ anymore. It's not a good shooter.

If you want coop, don't play DayZ! It's not a good coop game.

You want survival? Don't sit in front of your computer! There's no survival feeling in front of that! Having a "You're getting wet." message on screen and actually standing in the rain without proper clothing are quite different. And without the actual feeling of getting hungry, wet, cold and everything, survival has no meaning.

 

I think that's what Dean meant when he was talking about DayZ beeing fundamentally flawed. It just can't be a survival simulator. And it can't be really good at anything else either because the mixing the concepts is impairing the quality of each. No amount of silly content will hide that for long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gurk-o-vich 25]

It seems to me that you have the wrong expectation of the game then... at least at that point.
Most likely the killing will never cease and will always be a part of the game - and well, that's what surviving is about in a modern environment, isn't it?

[cuwe 66]

While your post has some merit, every person describes "fun" in a different way.  For me, the "fun" in DayZ is not about "looting up" and trying to be king shit, for me the fun is scrounging off the leftovers and trying to survive while maintaining some shred of humanity.  This game calls into question your morals and each time you spawn, or each time you sit down, dependant upon your mood or what happened in your previous run through the game, sometimes you may be a moral helper, sometimes you may be a bandit, sometimes you may go Charles Manson, and sometime you may just run around in your underwear screaming at people being the crazy cat lady...  for me, all those scenarios are fun.  When I first started playing I was all about "MY gear", but now, I know gear is easily replaced, it is the interactions I am enjoying..

 

So I guess what you need to do, is question why YOU want to play this game.  If you want to be top of the leaderboards (which don't exist) then go find somethign else to play, if you want to have some intense, unpredictable human interaction then come on down asnd boot up DayZ

[Hrki 94]

One Word Five Letters A L P H A

[GrappleX 354]

Not a good time to fun ratio?

 

I payed 120 + hours and enjoyed practically every second. I've gotten less enjoyment out of AAA title for double the cost.

[Hrki 94]

um yes and you are just pissed off because you literarly suck ingame

[irl-calibre 744]

it's not a game, its a story.

[Gurk-o-vich 25]

While your post has some merit, every person describes "fun" in a different way.  For me, the "fun" in DayZ is not about "looting up" and trying to be king shit, for me the fun is scrounging off the leftovers and trying to survive while maintaining some shred of humanity.  This game calls into question your morals and each time you spawn, or each time you sit down, dependant upon your mood or what happened in your previous run through the game, sometimes you may be a moral helper, sometimes you may be a bandit, sometimes you may go Charles Manson, and sometime you may just run around in your underwear screaming at people being the crazy cat lady...  for me, all those scenarios are fun.  When I first started playing I was all about "MY gear", but now, I know gear is easily replaced, it is the interactions I am enjoying..

 

So I guess what you need to do, is question why YOU want to play this game.  If you want to be top of the leaderboards (which don't exist) then go find somethign else to play, if you want to have some intense, unpredictable human interaction then come on down asnd boot up DayZ

 

I found your post fair until you decided to call me somewhat of a guy that seeks trouble. No sir, I am waiting for further updates as well and I really hope the hunting thing will bring a new touch to the game. I'd really like to function as a merchant of some kind but well... there is no working system for that atm...

This game still has potential and just to say it can't be saved no matter what is plane stupid! There is so much you can implement:

- fortresses with human gatherings

- hunting

- vehicles

- maybe even special zombies

- wanted posters

- and so on

 

I really hope for something like that but until then we all just have to sit and wait...

[Leo Balzac 190]

That just your opinion man.

[Hrki 94]

are you sure of this 2 things
- wanted posters WTF HAHAHA
- fortresses ? hello kitty island adventure style ?

[Gurk-o-vich 25]

are you sure of this 2 things

- wanted posters WTF HAHAHA

- fortresses ? hello kitty island adventure style ?

 

CAN be implemented. I really see how you think you are the smart troll here... congrats, you are awesome! Buy yourself some more sarcasm.

 

Edit:

I am talking about creating VARIETY. Something you don't seem to understand.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Gurk-o-vich

[Hrki 94]

go live life outside games pls

[Gurk-o-vich 25]

go live life outside games pls

 

We are in a game forum. You do realize this, right?

[Hrki 94]

Got an idea without a brain and understanding about the possibility of its implementation shows your IQ level

[Gurk-o-vich 25]

Got an idea without a brain and understanding about the possibility of its implementation shows your IQ level

 

I am guessing around under 80...

[cuwe 66]

I found your post fair until you decided to call me somewhat of a guy that seeks trouble. No sir, I am waiting for further updates as well and I really hope the hunting thing will bring a new touch to the game. I'd really like to function as a merchant of some kind but well... there is no working system for that atm...

This game still has potential and just to say it can't be saved no matter what is plane stupid! There is so much you can implement:

- fortresses with human gatherings

- hunting

- vehicles

- maybe even special zombies

- wanted posters

- and so on

 

I really hope for something like that but until then we all just have to sit and wait...

 

I wasn't intending to do such (and honestly don't know where you got that from my post), my whole train of thought was just that each person needs to decide why they are playing, what the outcome they want to see is.  For me, as mentioned, it is all about the interactions and the fear of encountering a stranger and not knowing what the hell is gonna happen.  I too am looking forward to many improvements (but only those geared towards realism.  I am a big fan of realistic mods and sims... I only hope this game stays true to the survival realism.

[Gurk-o-vich 25]

I wasn't intending to do such (and honestly don't know where you got that from my post), my whole train of thought was just that each person needs to decide why they are playing, what the outcome they want to see is.  For me, as mentioned, it is all about the interactions and the fear of encountering a stranger and not knowing what the hell is gonna happen.  I too am looking forward to many improvements (but only those geared towards realism.  I am a big fan of realistic mods and sims... I only hope this game stays true to the survival realism.

 

Sorry, I must have confused you with the topic starter :D

[dallas 5195]

DayZ is not like other games, you gotta find your own purpose for surviving the zompocalypse.

[Guest]

I actually have thought about what you said and can understand why you believe this,

 

However the interaction and interim period of success are areas which essentially drive the fanbase, wanting you to come back because you met that awesome guy at the campfire on a dark night when lonely or whatever.

 

Some members here are clearly just flaming, but you should try make the argument read better. The principle is fine, presentation not so much :) 

[robophant 102]

it only might stay a crappy game cause they've based it on arma engine, which is utterly crap! crap crap crap CRAAA-HAAAAP... *cough*

most of the glitches are not fixable by any patch or hotfix whatsoever.

 

But the idea and the game itself is so awesome that i wont give a crap about any glitches or bugs.

 

DayZ is an awesome tactical shooter (even with this crappy movement glitches and all at this state) and also an awesome survival game which makes you think about your next steps. It really gets me full paranoia when i'm out there and i really enjoy to go totally berserk on the guys who killed one of my group... Awesome game (even for alpha)

Edited March 2, 2014 by robophant

[Highlander007 249]

Only thing that could save the game would be adding of skills and skill trees. Permanent ones. That adds goals for players to actually invest time in this

[res 373]

He IS right.

 

And I've played it for 137 hours.

 

I like DayZ more than the average gamer who plays it. 

 

The group I was playing with left to play freaking RUST, because DayZ was way too boring.

 

After playing alone for..15, maybe 20 hours, that's it for me.

 

I know everything about the game, I miss that feeling I got the first hours of not knowing where I even was.

 

The map is little. Yes, I said LITTLE. Once vehicles are implemented it'll take nothing to go from one side to another of the map, I've used vehicles in Chernarus+.

 

I hope one day I will come back, join a group and see I really better game. But I know that won't be true.

 

Humans know how to kill from the moment they are born. Teaming up is something that society and LAW teaches you.

 

There is no law in DayZ, and the devs are not willing to implement it.

[antonioajc 500]

Oh look, it's one of those threads criticizing a game that's on an alpha stage.

[GrappleX 354]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[res 373]

Oh look, it's one of those threads criticizing a game that's on an alpha stage.

 

I'm so fucking tired of hearing that excuse. It's a BAD, POOR fucking excuse.

 

Alpha or full release, it doesn't change the way the game is going to be played.

 

You start, you gear up, invest hours into some shit, die, and lose it all.

 

After all the time I've played DayZ, it's no longer worth it.

 

I'd rather play some game that I have more fun with, like the Fallout series, or do some good to myself in real life, and the time will be WAY better invested.

 

I've played this game ALL THE WAYS that it's possible to play it. Friendly, newb, KoS, bandit, hero helping newspawns, newspawn massacre, hostile and friendly player interaction. This is it,

I can't get to have anymore fun with this game.

Edited March 2, 2014 by skin_head_army